Volkswagen begins testing its self-driving minivans in Los Angeles before launching it with Uber

Volkswagen’s MOIA America and Uber have begun testing self-driving minivans in Los Angeles, the companies announced Wednesday, the latest step as they prepare to launch a robotaxi service by late 2026.

A year ago, MOIA America and Uber unveiled an ambitious plan to launch a commercial robotaxi service — using autonomous versions of Volkswagen’s Electric ID. Buzz minivan – in multiple US cities over the next decade. Los Angeles is the first city on that list.

Testing will begin in the next few weeks with about 10 independent IDs. Buzz Cars in Los Angeles, according to the company. The production version of the self-driving car seats four people.

Paul DeLong, head of marketing at MOIA America, described Los Angeles as a natural market to introduce the company’s self-driving vehicles for ride-hailing experiences, “given its long history of shaping car culture and adopting new mobility technologies.”

Since last year’s announcement, MOIA America and Uber have established a joint facility in Los Angeles for daily fleet operations. The test fleet is small at the moment, but Volkswagen says it will eventually expand to more than 100 self-driving cars. Buzz compounds. The vehicles will initially be launched with a human safety operator on board. The company said it is expected to begin driverless operations in 2027.

This next step reflects “the strong momentum behind the strategy of bringing autonomous mobility into real-world operation,” said Sascha Mayer, Volkswagen’s chief commercial officer for autonomous mobility.

The name MOIA America is a relatively new brand for Volkswagen’s self-driving car projects in the United States, known as Volkswagen ADMT until early 2026. But the MOIA brand has been around for a while, since Volkswagen first launched it in 2018 at TechCrunch Disrupt London, and it’s popular in Europe, where it operates a ride-sharing service and tests self-driving vehicle technology in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Oslo. The name change is supposed to reflect the relationship between the US and European entities.

MOIA America still must go through a lengthy regulatory process before it can deploy commercial robotaxi service — that is, self-driving vehicles that charge humans for a ride — in California. The company will need permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates the testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles in the state. You will also need a moving permit from the California Public Utilities Commission.

Meanwhile, Uber has spread its bets on self-driving vehicles. The company has partnerships with 25 companies applying autonomous vehicle technology in deliveries, drones, ride-hailing and trucking services. In the United States, its most visible partnership is with Waymo. But the company has taken its autonomous vehicle ambitions to other markets, concluding agreements with Chinese companies to launch automated taxis in Europe and the Middle East, as well as startups such as UK-based Wayve.

Uber recently struck a deal with Rivian to purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis ahead of their planned rollout in San Francisco and Miami in 2028. Under the agreement, Uber is making an initial investment of $300 million in Rivian.